spiritual ceremonies

The equinox is now just under 24 hours away, and will occur on Wednesday, 23 September 2015 at 08:22 Universal Coordinated Time. It’s a time to reflect upon the work of spiritual transformation, and to gain a deeper understanding of its stages. The equinox describes the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator (the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s Equator), which is when the length of day and night are equal—a phenomena in the Earth’s annual journey around the sun that occurs twice a year. Like all things in nature, the equinox has a deeper spiritual significance. As it is to do with the sun, our source of physical light and life, it is also about spiritual light—with the sun being the source of spiritual light and life in higher dimensions. The journey of the earth around the sun each year is connected to the journey to enlightenment; with each of the major stages of these journeys coinciding at the times of the solstice and equinox. That is why these times of year have been celebrated in connection with sacred teachings and sites around the world from ancient times. The Autumn Equinox In the Northern Hemisphere it [...]

A painting of King Solomon who the odes are attributed to, but it is unclear who their real author is. Mark and I celebrated the summer solstice yesterday. As we both sat in a circle of trees in the light of the morning sun and did our ceremony, I read a selection of verses from a little known esoteric text called The Odes of Solomon. This text has defied interpretation, and yet that morning every word was filled with a meaning that resonated very deeply with Mark. Although the author is unknown, it became clear to us that it was written by someone who had experienced the final stages in the path of the spiritual Son, and whose words were profoundly shared and understood by Mark who has also passed through most of these same stages nearly 2,000 years later. The Odes of Solomon are dated by most scholars to somewhere in the range of 70-125 AD. However, you’ll find references to it in another early esoteric Christian text called Pistis Sophia, which recounts the teachings Jesus gives to the disciples after his resurrection and ascension on the latter stages of the path of the spiritual Son, which [...]

This coming Monday December 22nd is the solstice - a time of year that is deeply symbolic and connected to the journey to enlightenment. In the northern hemisphere, it is the winter solstice, which celebrates the birth of the spiritual force of the Son within. In the southern hemisphere, it is the summer solstice, which celebrates the ascent to the spiritual Father and return to source. The transit of the sun, and the main stages in its annual cycle, held a special significance for ancient cultures who built their megalithic monuments so they were aligned to the sun at these times. These events have been connected to sacred sites and texts of the past because they hold a spiritual significance, which you can read about in The Significance of the Solstice and Equinox in Spirituality. This week's featured ancient exercise is the celebration of the solstice, which can be done simply at home or together at a retreat. We've put together A Guide to Celebrating the Solstice and Equinox, which has lots of helpful tips for creating and setting up a ceremony. Ceremonies have been created here for both the winter and summer solstice based on ancient celebrations of it [...]

A solstice ceremony being celebrated by the Romuvan community in Lithuania who are reviving their ancient solar religion. (photo copyright Flickr user Mantas LT 2009) Ancient people of nearly every race and culture have celebrated the solstice and equinox as evident in hundreds if not thousands of ancient sites, myths and texts, and the most famous spiritual figures of the world such as Jesus, Osiris, Hu Gadarn, Mithras, Dionysus, Hun Hunaphu, Quetzalcoatl etc., experienced major events in their life stories at these times. While some of these traditions were simple and based on an appreciation of the natural world, many celebrated the profound and universal spiritual significance of these special times year. The following article is a comprehensive guide to celebrating the solstice and equinox today, whoever and wherever you are. It runs through the spiritual meaning of the celebrations by looking at the common threads found between ancient sites and celebrations around the world, provides information on how to create a sacred space, and step-by-step instructions for conducting your own ceremony. Whether you're on your on or with a large group of people, the solstice and equinox can form a profound and enjoyable part of your spiritual [...]

When we got married some time ago, we wanted a ceremony that was more in tune with our own spirituality, but at the same time was something that anyone could feel relaxed attending. Ours was held outdoors in a standing stone circle in a grove, which was encased within a large, open pyramid structure. This marriage ceremony is based on some of the sacred texts of esoteric Christianity and Jesus’ own words, which included secret and hidden references to alchemy and spiritual marriage. We've included the meaning of the symbols used throughout the ceremony, which include the grail, red wine, bell, lit candles etc. Read the ceremony here

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